Wound clasp



Sept. 17, 1929.

c. 5. Von %Chen//Jtf Patentei] Sept. 17, 1929 UNITED STATES ADOLF CLAI'E3S SEBASTIAN VONWACHENFELDT, er LUND swrinmv, sssxcirio3fiyq KIZR'U'BGISKA mscmmxm1vrr FABRIKS AKTIEBOL\AGETOE strocxnopiuswnmam A JOINT-S'IOCK COMPANY worum GLAS? Application fl1ed Inne 21, 1928, Serial N0.287282aud i n" w my 2 Nowadays it is common practice in surgical operations t use wound clasps 01 so-call6d agraffes to keep the edges of the wounds together during the healing of the wound, said clasps being employed either as a substitute f01' the thread stitches previously used, 0r in certain cas9s, in connection therewith.

Such wound clasps or agrafles generally consist of 21 thin metal strip formed at each end into a loop and provided with pins projecting from the said loops, which pins are caused t0 penetrate into the skin on both sides of the cut when the clasp is bent about the edge of the wound, the clasp being thus retained over the edge of the wound.

As a 1ule, this operation does not ofl'er any difliculties t0 an operzitor accustomed to using the said clasps. 011 the other band, difficulties are metwith when, afte1 the healing of the wound, 01' before, if required, theclasp is to be removed from the edge of the vv0und. The difliculty substantially lies in removing the pins fromm the wound in such a manner as to relieve the patient as far as possible of annoyance or pain, and so as not t0 irritate 01 damage the edge 0f the wound.

The present invention has f01 its object to obviate the said difficulty and, at the same tirne, t0 facilitate removal 0f the clasp from the edge of the wound by means of ordinary simple instruments, such as common forceps, pincers o1 the like, 01 even by means of the fingers of the operator. 4

The invention consists substantially in that the clasp is provided with projections 011 the outside, which projections are swung in a. direction from each other when the clasp is bent together over the edge of the wound, Whereas approaching of the said projections toward euch other Will straighten out the clasp so that the nins of the same Will be removed from the sge of the wound. The said projections may be situated either close to 0ne another 01' at some distance from each other, in which latter case the angle Of return' of the ends 0.E the clasp may be made larger. Preferably, the projections may be made integral with the clasp proper by bending of the metal strip forming the clasp.

A couple of embodiments of a clasp according t-0 the invention are shown in the accompanying drawing in Figs. l, 2 und 3, 4 und 5 respectively.

This clasp consistsas usually, 0f a metal strip 1 provided with loops 2 at the ends, from which strip Ehe pins 3 are cut out.

According to the invention the said strip 1 is provided 011 its outside with two projections 4- formed by double-bending of the strip and situated close onto euch other according to Fig. l, whercas in the .embodiment according t0 Fig. 3 they are located at a certain distance fr0m each other, so that their outer ends Will be brought further apart than in the embodiment according to Fig. 1 when the clasp is bent togethef over the edge of the wound, as will be seen by a comparison between Figs. 2 and 4:. 011 account of this it Will also be possible at the following returnbending or straightening of the clasp t0 move the pins further apart, which may be of ad vantage in certain cases.

When the clasp is bent back by pressing the k projections 4 together, which may be efl'ected y means 0f common forceps, pincers or the like, as previously stated, the pins 3 Will be moved, simultaneously and uniformly, out of contact with the edge of the wound t0 such an ext6nt that; the clasp may be' removed without difiiculty. Also, no special skillful ness nor care is required in this operation.

It is obvious, that the elasp may also be made out of a suitably bent wire 100p 0r the s like, without departing from the principle 0f the invention, 01, as illu'strated in Fig. 5, by double-bending a metal strip with the projections bent outwardly fromthe upper parts of the metal strip.

What I claim as new und desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States of America is:-

1. A W0und clasp 0r so-called agrafle 0011- sisting of a metal strip 01 of a suitablybent wire loop or the like which is proVided a t the ends with pins adapted to be introduc'ed into the skin when the clasp is closed ovsr the edge 01 the wound, characterizied by the clasp being provided on the outside.with projections arranged in such a manner that the latte1 will be swung in a direction from euch other when the clasp is cloSed over the edge of the wound, whereas approaching of the said projections towards each other Will straighten out the clasp so that the pins of the same Will be removed from the edge of the wound.

2. A wound clasp according 130 claim l,

' charactrizedbythe 1 rojectiohs= arranged on the outside of the clasp being located close beside eac h other.

chara'cteri zed' by the projections arranged 'on the outside 0f the clasp being made integral with the clasp proper. 111 yi Wh@ 9 I l my at r ADOLF CLAS SEBSTIAN von WACHENFELDT. 

